A White House petition requesting that dentist Walter Palmer, who killed a prized lion in Zimbabwe, be extradited to the African nation to face justice should receive a response from the Obama administration.

Brent Stapelkamp dismissed reports that the lion had been killed, saying a GPS device on Jericho didn't suggest anything out of the ordinary. Furthermore, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, which told CNN and other media Saturday that poachers had killed Jericho, retracted those statements on Sunday.

The head of the conservation task force, Johnny Rodrigues, said in a new statement that the erroneous information was the result of mistaken identity. Rodrigues said that another lion had been killed, something that CNN cannot immediately verify.

As proof of life, Oxford University tweeted a photo of Jericho, taken by Stapelkamp early Sunday morning.

The erroneous reports of Jericho's death elicited strong reactions on the heels of the killing of his ally, Cecil. Cecil's death at the hands of a lion hunter sparked international outrage because he was a protected animal. Zimbabwe is seeking the extradition of American dentist Walter Palmer, who is accused -- along with at least two others -- of illegally hunting the lion, authorities said.

"We apologize for reporting that (Jericho) had died but were confident that our sources were in fact correct," the conservation task force said in a Facebook post Sunday.

Cecil and Jericho have been referred to as brothers, though David Macdonald, director of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford, said the lions were not blood relatives.

"They were not related, though their bond was one close to brotherhood," Macdonald said in a statement. "Male lions often form what are termed co-operative 'coalitions' with unrelated males in order to better compete with other males for territories and prides."

Jericho is apparently caring for and defending Cecil's cubs, and the survivability of those cubs would have been imperiled if Jericho had indeed been killed.

Cecil, who was killed in early July, mated with about six lionesses and had about 24 cubs, Rodrigues has said.

James Schoenfeld received life sentence for his part in largest mass abduction in US history

Nearly 40 years after receiving a life sentence for his role in the largest mass abduction in U.S. history, James Schoenfeld -- one of the three infamous Chowchilla school bus kidnappers -- will walk out of a California prison this week a free man.

The California Parole Board moved to grant the 63-year-old his freedom in April, at Schoenfeld's 20th parole hearing since his 1977 conviction on 27 counts of kidnapping, according to Luis Patino, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Gov. Jerry Brown -- who was in his first term as governor at the time of the chilling kidnappings -- had 120 days to decide whether he'd intervene by sending the case back to the parole board, but when that deadline came and went late last week, Schoenfeld's release became imminent.

No ordinary hijacking

On July 15, 1976, 26 Dairyland Elementary School students were returning home after a day of summer school in Chowchilla -- an inland farming community some 40 miles north of Fresno, California -- when their bus was commandeered by Schoenfeld, his younger brother Richard, and a friend, Fred Woods.

But the armed gunmen, who wore nylon stocking masks, didn't just hunker down afterward and make ransom demands -- this was no ordinary hijacking.

The captors -- men in their 20s from well-to-do Bay Area families -- made the entire bus and all of their hostages disappear for days.

According to reports, it was early evening when the trio stormed the bus and took it to a nearby drainage ditch where they hid it in a thicket of bamboo. The 27 hostages -- 26 students and bus driver Ed Ray -- were then divided into two vans and driven for more than 11 hours to a sand and gravel quarry owned by Woods' family.

The captives were forced to descend below the rocks and gravel into an underground bunker fashioned out of the trailer of a moving truck that the kidnappers then entombed in dirt, according to the Fresno Bee.

The cell was about 8 feet by 16 feet and was crudely ventilated, but was stocked with water, snacks, a flashlight and mattresses, according to media reports.

Ray, who passed away at age 91 in 2012, said "there was a lot of crying and begging for mama," according to a New York Times obituary. "(The children) kept hollering and saying, 'Why did they do this to us?' I'd like to know, too," he said shortly after the ordeal.

Daring escape

Although the kidnapping itself was executed with terrifying precision, the plot, it seemed, was never fully conceived, because the three captors were bested by Ray and the children -- aged between 5 and 14 years old -- before ransom demands were even made.

After several hours in the bunker, Ray and the older children began stacking the mattresses in a way that enabled them to access the roof of the truck. Once there, they were able to tunnel their way above ground. The entire escape took place as the Schoenfelds and Woods napped, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The students eventually returned to their families on July 17, 1976 along with Ray, who enjoyed a hero's welcome.

A legacy of nightmares

The Chowchilla kidnapping is a frightening scenario that is perhaps unfathomable for most students, parents and teachers in an era of hyperconnectivity, where cell phones and wifi-equipped school buses mean students can communicate just as easily with the world outside as they can with person sitting right next to them.

But it was 1976, well before such technological luxuries existed.

Although none of the 26 children were physically harmed by the Schoenfelds or by Woods during the affair, the trauma they endured still persists for many of the victims, who are now in their 40s and 50s.

Jennifer Hyde is one of them. She said she was nine years old when her childhood ended on that bus in Chowchilla.

"You couldn't just go on and have a normal childhood when you faced a life-threatening situation like that. You just can't go on and be carefree," she told CNN in 2013.

Hyde said she still sleeps with a nightlight on, and won't ride a subway or go anywhere underground.

While Hyde remains a prisoner of fear, James Schoenfeld will join his brother Richard -- who was paroled in 2012 -- in freedom no later than Wednesday, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Fred Woods will then be the last of the Chowchilla kidnappers behind bars. The 63-year-old will have his 15th parole hearing on November 19, according to Patino.

Rocky Fire in Northern California has burned 46,000 acres

Thousands of California acres are ablaze as firefighters battle at least 21 wildfires throughout the state, but while many of those fires are small or mostly contained, the wind and heat that are spreading the Rocky Fire in Northern California -- and the area's steep terrain -- are causing the most concern.

However, the clouds Sunday carried silver linings: cooler temperatures and increased humidity. Even with high winds in the area, those conditions should reduce the blaze's spread, though fire officials warned that the state's drought has been so severe, firefighters might need more than cooler temperatures to douse the blaze.

Since Saturday, the fire spread by almost 24,000 acres and has now consumed 46,000 acres in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties, according to Daniel Berland, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

Fifty residences and outbuildings have been destroyed and authorities estimate more than 6,000 structures face a direct threat.

"The fire is expected to have significant activity and growth," Cal Fire said in its late Saturday advisory. "Current strategic constraints include lack of access to areas of the fire, very hot and dry weather, critical fuels and changing winds. ... In total, all evacuations impact over 12,100 citizens living in over 5,156 residences."

Cal Fire has posted a list of mandatory evacuations, advisories, evacuation centers and road closures on its website.

After four days battling the blaze just east of Lower Lake, a town of 1,300, it is only 5% contained. Almost 2,000 fire personnel, 180 engines, four air tankers and 19 helicopters are participating in the effort.

Still, some Lake County residents carried on as usual amid the precarious conditions.

"We can see the smoke and it appears to be blowing near us but there are no evacuations here that I know of. We are open for business and hoping the wind blows the other way because we have two tournaments tomorrow," Ted Mattila of Buckingham Golf and Country Club in Kelseyville said Saturday.

In all, about 9,000 firefighters worked 21 fires Saturday in California -- from the Frog Fire near the Oregon border, to the Cutca blaze near Mexico. The state's four-year drought has created ideal conditions for wildfires, Cal Fire said.

At least three large fires were contained Saturday, while two smaller fires merged into a larger one, the department said.

One fireman was killed in the line of duty. The U.S. Forest Service confirmed that David Ruhl of Rapid City, South Dakota, died fighting the Frog Fire in Northern California's Modoc National Forest, near Adin. Rescuers found his body Friday morning, the forest service said, adding that the death of the father of two remains under investigation.

In two other fires -- the Willow Fire northeast of North Fork in the Sierra National Forest and the Cabin Fire east of Porterville in the Sequoia National Forest -- authorities reported strides.

The Willow Fire is 60% contained, and firefighters made "good progress" with a controlled-burn operation intended to deprive the blaze of more fuel, the South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team said.

"Air resources will support ground crew as needed (as) soon as smoke conditions clear and allow for safe aerial operations," the team said.

Evacuation orders remain in effect for the blaze that has already consumed more than 5,600 acres.

The Cabin Fire, which has burned 2,600 acres since mid-July, remained relatively calm overnight, but it was only 2% contained, according to a news release from the Sequoia National Forest.

"If the weather conditions are favorable today, firefighters may begin strategic firing operation near Pecks (Canyon) to remove unburned fuels between the fire line and the main fire in the afternoon," the statement said.

Neither the Willow nor the Cabin fires have destroyed any structures, but six people have been injured in the Willow Fire.

Thousands of lightning strikes since Thursday have ignited hundreds of small wildfires, but the thunderstorms brought little rain, authorities said, and the smaller fires became part of larger fires.

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Friday to help gather additional resources.

The fires range in size. The White Fire in Santa Barbara County is about 50 acres, the deadly Frog Fire has consumed at least 3,000 acres since it was spotted Thursday and the recently snuffed-out Lake Fire in San Bernandino County burned more than 31,000 acres before it was contained.

Cal Fire says most of the fires are more than 60% contained. However, the land damage has been substantial in some cases. Fires in Southern California's San Bernardino County and northern California's Alpine county have incinerated nearly 50,000 acres.

California's record-setting drought, entering its fourth year, has "turned much of the state into a tinderbox," Gov. Brown said.

Temperatures in Sacramento and other areas of northern California, where many of the fires are located, have topped 100 degrees recently.

The miners would end up spending 69 days below the Earth's surface before rescuers brought them all to safety. As everyone celebrated the rescue of the 33 miners, many pointed to a higher power -- a 34th miner -- who they say was with them all along.

In the aftermath of the rescue, those involved have recounted seemingly inexplicable miracles during their time underground and credited God with protecting them. God, many of them say, was the 34th miner.

A comforting presence

Jorge Galleguillos, a miner from Copiapo, Chile, recalled making the sign of the cross in front of an image of the Virgin Mary that had been placed near the entrance to the mine. The miners asked her for protection every shift before descending into the lower levels of the mine.

The day of the collapse, like any other day, Galleguillos paid his respects to the Virgin Mary and headed into the mine.

During this particular shift, Galleguillos said he heard warning cracks but continued working. He recalled seeing something like a "white species ... a butterfly" falling diagonally in the mine "like a paper."

It was likely a bit of white quartz, but in local culture, a white animal is a sign that God is present.

As the mine began to rumble and dust filled the air, Galleguillos said he envisioned his 6-day-old grandson in his arms and his mother standing in front of him.

"I am not going to see my mother again. I'm not going to meet my grandson," he thought.

Galleguillos said he is not particularly religious. Still, even as it seemed the worst was ahead, he said he felt God's presence.

In the five years since the mine collapse, Galleguillos said he is more thankful than ever.

Alex Vega, a second-generation miner, had been suffering from a gastric ulcer for a couple of months when the miners became trapped.

As always, he had his pills in his backpack. Three of them. He divided them into four parts each so he could take a piece each day.

The fact that there was very little food only made his symptoms worse, and at this point, they had no idea when or if they would be rescued.

The miners ate one can of tuna per day, splitting each can between the 33 of them.

"You have to have faith," Galleguillos said. "You can never lose your faith. Faith is nourishment ... Faith is life."

Faith, even without hope

Shift foreman Luis Urzua was the first person to be heard once verbal contact was made with the miners. His first words were, "We are well and hoping that you will rescue us."

Urzua said he doesn't believe in luck, but he does believe in faith -- even when it seems like there is no hope.

"The devil couldn't do anything because God was present," he said.

Urzua recounted a time in the mine when one of his colleagues became ill. The prayers of the other miners, Urzua said, healed him.

"We made a prayer, we prayed in front of him," he said. "The next day, he was better. ... He was doing better than all of us."

That power of prayer stayed with the miners throughout their time underground.

"When we prayed, we didn't pray to get rescued; we prayed for the people outside not to abandon us," he said.

It was another answered prayer.

Rescue resumes inexplicably

After weeks of drilling, the rescuers were getting closer to the miners. Then, the drill halted, just feet from reaching the miners. There was no forward or backward motion.

"It's like, did we come this far and go through all this? And this damn thing is stuck here," said Richard Soppe, a manager with Center Rock Inc.

Then, without any effort from the rescuers, there was a pop, and it started moving again.

Brandon Fisher, owner of Center Rock, led a team of drilling experts to help free the miners.

"I remember there was a loud bang on the backside of the control panel," Fisher said. "Everyone just kind of stopped at one point in time and looked around."

"We still don't know what that noise was," he said.

Ariel Ticona, a miner and expectant father at the time, said that when he heard the drill bit break through, he knew "that was by the hand of God that the miracle was done."

While trapped, Ticona became a father to a baby girl, Esperanza, which means hope.

Jonathan Franklin, author of "33 Men: Inside the Miraculous Survival and Dramatic Rescue of the Chilean Miners," said Esperanza's birth was a miracle because she gave hope to the miners. She gave their dream of rescue a face.

Rescuing the miners

After much preparation and prayer, the final leg of the rescue began.

Florencio Avalos was the first miner to emerge. He was pulled to the surface in a 22-inch wide capsule.

Celebrations broke out, but the rescuers and miners faced the reality that 32 more miners needed the same miracle to live.

One after the other, they were rescued.

Vega said he hugged and kissed his wife like he was never going to let her go.

Ticona met his new daughter Esperanza in the hospital.

Urzua said God saved all 33 miners for a reason, but he's been asking himself why since the rescue.

"Today, everywhere we turn, there is misery, hunger, terrible natural events," Urzua said, speculating about God's motive to rescue them. "We have to care for our environment, care for our children, so that they have a better life, we give them the best."

After the rescuers returned home, they studied the science of the rescue.

"These tools should not have been able to bend and go around some of these curves. I mean, there's no question in my mind that the faith of God, and the faith of the world praying for these guys to get rescued was a huge factor," Fisher said. "Science, know-how, and will were applied, but at the end of the day, the big guy had everything to do with this rescue being successful. I believe that wholeheartedly."